Grid for bottle packing apparatus



May 2.8, 1968 B. G. COPPING ETAL 3,385,027

GRIDVFOR BOTTLE PACKING APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l. www@ wia WWI@ d May 28, 1968 Filed July 27, 1966 B. G. coPPlNG ETAL 3,385,027

GRID FOR BOTTLE PACKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z/ Z/ j F|G.3 2 @l l f, V120 d p a/ 0 Y FIG 4 p n 32 L BRUCE Gfysc BQ'HEODORE L.BARKER ATTYS May 28, 1968 B. G. COPPING ETAL 3,385,027

I GRID FOR BOTTLE PACKING APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1966 3 Sheebs-Sheetl 3 BRUCE G. @I6/Agone BJHEQDORE LARKeR ATTYS.

United States Patent O 3,385,027 GRID FR BOTTLE PACKING APPARATUS Bruce G. Copping, Akron, and Theodore L. Barker, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assigner-s to Geo. I. Meyer Manufacturing Co., Cudahy, Wis.

Filed July 27, 1966, Ser. No. 568,211 8 Claims. (Cl. 5?: 248) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE The packing grid has a pair of spaced parallel side plates, and one or more divider plates between and parallel to the side plates to form equal size open elongated channels for receiving a line of articles in each channel. A plurality of resilient ngers are secured at their upper ends to the plates and extend substantially vertically downwardly therefrom. Half ofthe lingers have llat surfaces at their upper ends parallel to the plates and half have flat surfaces at their upper ends perpendicular to the plates.

This invention relates to packing grids used in automatic packaging machine for arranging bottles, cans and the like in crates or cartons provided with dividers or compartments for holding the bottles, or other articles.

Heretofore, it has been well known that packaging grids have been utilized with automatic bottle packing equipment which are designed to conduct and guide bottles, cans and the like into a crate or carton. However, today there are demands for ditferent size cartons, so that when packing is done on a carton comprising nothing but six packs or nothing but eight packs, or a carton of six packs, or a carton of twenty-four bottles alone, the spacing between bottles varies. The prior art packing grids utilizing yieldable lingers extending downwardly to guide the movement of the articles as they pass through the grid to the crate or carton cannot overcome the varying spacing problem because of inherent difficulties in their construction. Moreover, these prior art packers have tingers which tend to wear and sometimes are bent in such a way as to cause injury to the carton, lingers, or bottles.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other diliiculties of and objections to prior art practices by the provisions of a packing grid having novel construction with long resilient tapered lingers which are positioned parallel to the sides defining each bottle receiving opening in the carton to allow for packing into a plurality of different cartons having variable spacing between bottles, or other packaged articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packing grid having only longitudinally extending divider means, or frames therein with all the lingers being attached to such frames.

Another object of the invention is to provide flexible guide members in an article receiving grid that has no cross members therein for controlled drop action into longitudinally adjustable positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grid for article packing mechanism having extending resilient fingers which are somewhat tapered on the ends and grouped in fours in association with each article, and wherein the ends of the lingers are tapered so that the grouping of four can come to somewhat of Va point to deline a small space.

The aforesaid objects of the invention and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds are achieved by providing in a packing grid for ice guiding bottles or other articles from an assembly device to a crate or carton in a packaging machine the combination of an open rectangularly shaped horizontally positioned frame, a plurality of dividers extending longitudinally in the frame to form equal size longitudinally extending channels, and a plurality of elongated llat lingers each mounted at one end to either the dividers or the frame, and extending substantially vertically downwardly from the frame, where half of the lingers have their llat portions parallel to the dividers or parallel sides of the frame, and half have their flat portion perpendicular to the dividers or parallel sides of the frame, and further where dependent free ends of the lingers have appropriate bends to arrange the free ends in clusters of four to deline bottle guiding paths, and where the tips of each cluster of four lingers are equally spaced and substantially centrally aligned in the longitudinally extending channels.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a plan view of the case packing grid showing the relationship of the fingers and the longitudinally extending channels with bottles indicated in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the particular finger arrangement for the side channels, as taken approximately on line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation ofa divider or partition taken on line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the central divider taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end elevation of the specic linger arrangement of the side dividers taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation 0f the specilic linger arrangement of the second and fourth dividers taken on lines 6 6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an end elevation of the specific linger arrangement on the central divider taken on line 7 7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating one bottle receiving compartment in a carton or case showing the relationship of the lower portions of the lingers which are shown in horizontal cross section and are positioned for guiding the bottle into the opening; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of a modified grid of the invention.

In that form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration in the figures of the drawings, the packer grid embodies a frame indicated generally by the numeral 10 and embodying longitudinally extending side plates, or dividers 12 and end plates or bars 14 which are secured together in any suitable way to form a frame of the desired size for positioning bottles in a crate or carton. A plurality of dividers 16, 16a and 16b extend lengthwise of the frame or grid 10 parallel to the side plates or dividers 12 in equally spaced relation and are secured to the end bars 14 in any suitable manner, three of such strips being shown to provide four parallel rows of bottle receiving channels 18.

The essence of the invention is achieved by mounting elongated liexible lingers to the side plates or dividers 12 and 12a and the dividers in such a manner so as to provide bottle guiding paths which can adjust to different bottle drop requirements. To this end, the specic construction and support of the lingers is more clearly illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2 through 7. FIG. 2 illustrates the attachment and configuration of lingers, indicated generally by the numeral 20, as attached to one of the side plates 12. The lingers comprise long thin llat metal strips made from a suitable spring steel whereby the lingers will have great resiliency without being permanently deformed nor tending to break.

The lingers 20 are liat in horizontal cross section and many of them are mounted on suitable 90 angle clips, suitably secured to the side plates or dividers, so that the liat surfaces or sides are either parallel or perpendicular to the planes of the side plates 12 and dividers. In lfact, half of the lingers 20 are mounted parallel and half perpendicular to the respective side plates 12 and 12a or dividers 16, 16a and 16b and extend downwardly therefrom. The lingers 20 are arranged and spaced relative to the side plates 12 and dividers so that sets of four of the lingers have their free lower ends coming together in groupings where each grouping is spaced so as to protect substantially into the center of, and can adjust relative to, a bottle receiving opening in a carton or case, as indicated by dotted line 22 in FIG. 2. The specilic lingers 20c and 20d carried by the side plates 12 shown in FIG. 2 are suitably mounted -on opposed faces of a leg of the angle clips 21, or similar means, spaced equally along the length of the side plates 12, as clearly indicated, and such lingers 20c and 20d in general are perpendicular to the side frame 12. The clips 21 are suitably secured to the side plates or dividers and each has a leg abutted against such support and a leg perpendicular thereto.

In each grouping of four fingers, two of the lingers, identified by numerals 20a and 2011, have their liat surfaces parallel to the side plates 12 or dividers. Stich lingers 20a and 2Gb are suitably secured to one of the plates 12 or 12a or one of the dividers 16, 16a, or 16h usually on the opposite surface thereof than that surface carrying the clips 21, as shown in FIG. 5. The lingers 20a as shown are all mounted on the plate 12 for the channel formed there adjacent while the opposed lingers 2Gb are carried by the adjacent divider 16. It should be noted that the lingers 20a, FIG. 4, in this embodiment of the invention, all are inclined slightly towards the longitudinal center of the divider 16a.

It is readily apparent when construing FIG. 5 in conjunction with FIG. 2 that each of the side plates 12 and 12a has live linger groupings of only three lingers, namely lingers c and 20d, and either 20a or 2Gb depending upon which side plate is considered. Note that there are slight bends 23 to the lingers from their mounted position just below the side plates or divider plates to insure they will be positioned in the groups of four lingers as desired. In order to complete the four linger groupings, the dividers 16 and 16b adjacent the side plates are constructed as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 6 so as to provide the other parallel linger, or the linger 20a or 201; depending on which side divider is considered, for the groups of lingers in the laterally outer rows. -In addition, the end clips 21 for all rows will only usually carry a linger 20c or 20d, as shown in FIG. 2. Such dividers 16 and 16b also position or provide groupings of three lingers 20c and 20d, as well as either 20a or 20b, respectively, of their own. Finally, the center divider 16a, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, usually only provides the lfourth linger, either 20a or 201), respectively, to the three linger groupings set up by the dividers 16 and 16b adjacent the side plates 12.

It is of particular importance that each of the lingers is firmly anchored at its upper end to one of the clips 21 or to one of the respective dividers or plates, and extends exactly vertically to a joint just below the bottom of the respective divider or side plate. The necessary groups of four lingers 20a, 2Gb, 20c and 20d are then achieved by single and very small angle bends 23 to the lingers just below the bottom of the plate or divider to achieve the grouped positions desired for the lingers for guided article drop action. By not using any transverse members in the case packing grid, no longitudinal spacing of the abutted articles fed to the grid is required. Any spacing of the bottles in the receiving means provided therefor can be obtained as the article or bottle drops through the set of spring lingers guiding the drop thereof. Any particular article being processed would not be moved across 4 its initial center line, as positioned in a grid of the invention, if ever so moved until the article is well below the lower edge of the side plate or divider plate. FIG. 8 illustrates the positions of the lower portions of the lingers as an article would be passing therethrough.

The drawings show that the spring lin-gers extend below the frame 10 a distance greater than two-thirds of their length and that the bends 23 are such as to position the lower ends of the lingers in closely adjacent positions.

Articles can be fed onto the frame or grid 10 in any known ymanner and be supported thereon by known types of longitudinally extending members which can be aligned with the dividers and side plates for article release and guided drop action through the sets, or groupings of four lingers at desired times.

Usually, the bottom or free end of each linger is tapered so that the four lin-ger groupings can come together in very close proximity to each other, thus delining a smaller point or area for insertion into the openings in the cases or cartons into which the articles are to be dropped.

FIG. 8 clearly illustrates the relationship of a respective four linger grouping to a bottle indicated by dotted line 24 positioned into an opening 25. Note that there is some free play between the lingers 20, and the sides of the opening 26. Normally, of course, because of the resilient positioning of the lingers, they will lirmly bias against the bottle as the bottle is slid and vguided into position through the path defined by the lingers.

Another important feature of this specific linger design and positioning is achieved because each linger always has its flat surface laying liat or parallel to the respective side of the carton to which it is guiding the bottle. This means that there is no lost space, such as has been inherent in those linger guides positioned in the corners at 45 angles to each adjacent side of a carton opening in prior art mechanisms. Because there is no lost space, and because the ngers lay liat or parallel to the sides of the openings in the cartons or cases, there can be great variation, or automatic adjustment in the positioning of the four linger grouping into the respective opening. The spring of the lingers 20c and 29d enables them to be moved axially of the carton and provide the required axial spacing of the articles in a receiving carton. Corner positioned guide lingers at 45 angles to the sides will not provide similar action. For example, the optimum positioning is for the center of the four linger grouping to substantially coincide with the center of the opening to which the bottle is to be guided. However, because of the liat or parallel positioning of the lingers relative to the sides of the openings, there can be as great a variation as will allow the four linger grouping to merely enter into the opening. Particularly, the linger groups of the invention permit adjustments in the drop path of articles so that longitudinally spaced nests can receive articles that were abutted in the grid. The lower portions of the lingers 20c and 20d will readily adjust longitudinally of a receiving case. In other words, the four linger grouping could actually be received in a corner, or offset from the center adjacent any of the sides of the opening and still accurately and easily guide a bott-le into the particular opening because the lingers will readily push out to liat parallel relationship to the sides, and completely compensate for any variation in the positioning of the lingers in the opening in the article receiving nest.

This feature becomes extremely important where the packing apparatus must be ready to handle six packs, eight packs, twenty-four articles in separate pockets, and cases in a random arrangement, as necessary where the spacing between bottle centers varies in each one of these particular arrangements. It is known that todays apparatus and linger guides will not usually meet this type of bottle to Ibottle center variation, as guide lingers in a grid at 45 angles to corners formed in the grid must be positioned in the corners of the pockets in the carrier or there will be no room for articles to drop through the lingers into the nest in the carrier. Hence, prior units will not provide great versatility in a bottle packing machine. However, because applicants fingers have their upper portions in connected vertical mounted relationship to either the side plates or the dividers, and their extended length from the bend at the bottom edge of the positioning plate extending usually about twice the length of the vertically mounted section, they have great flexibility and can allow for considerable variation in bottle to bottle spacing without becoming so cocked or misaligned that the bottle will not fit into the opening for which they are guiding.

As a further improvement, the dividers 16 and side plates 12 are removably interlocked to the end bars, or plates 14 to provide the necessary grid. Note the elongated flange 30 on one end of each side plate and divider and notches 32 on both ends. These removably interlock with corresponding male fianges in the end bars, or plates 14. Thus, the removable nature of the side plates and dividers facilitates maintenance and greatly simplifies the combination and permits ready change of the fingers to facilitate handling of larger or smaller sized bottles or cans.

FIG. 9 of the drawings shows a modified case packing grid a. In this instance, spring fingers 12011 are shown secured to a plate 112 and diverging axially outwardly from the center thereof. The other spring fingers may be supported and positioned as described for the grid 10.

It will be realized that the grids 10 and 10a are merely typical examples of grids of the invention and that other grids may be made in accordance with this invention. The clips 21 could, for example, be attached to the partition 16a to provide clusters of three fingers on such member, if desired, on each face or side thereof and then clips could be used on the partitions 16 and/or 1Gb and/or on the side plates 12 and/or 12a to mount other clusters of springs as desired. The fourth linger for each cluster then would be carried on the partition or side plate thereadjacent.

Likewise, the grids can be provided for packing any suitable number of articles and the grids may comprise any number of longitudinally extending members with suitable sets of fingers thereon for packing the number of articles as fed to the grid by units for packing purposes.

While in accordance with the patent statutes only one best known embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, but that the inventive scope is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a packing grid for guiding bottles or other articles from an assembly device to a crate or carton in a packaging machine and including frame means, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel side plates,

a plurality of divider plates positioned between and parallel to the side plates to form equal size open elongated channels therebetween for receiving a line of articles in each channel, and

a plurality of elongated resilient fiat fingers each depending at one end from a single one of said plates and extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, where half of said fingers have their fiat surfaces parallel to the plates, and half have their fiat surfaces perpendicular to the plates.

2. A packing grid according to claim 1 where at least the fingers positioned perpendicular to the divider plates or side plates are secured to means carried by the divider plates or side plates but not extending therebetween.

3. In a packing grid for guiding bottles or other articles from an assembly device to a crate or carton, the combination of an open centered quadrilateral shape horizontally positioned frame, l

a plurality of parallel dividers carried by the frame and extending across the open center thereof to form equal width open elongated channels, and

a plurality of elongated fiat fingers each depending at its upper end from a single one of the dividers and extending substantially vertically downwardly below the frame, said fingers being arranged in groups of four to define article guiding paths in equal spaced relationship in each of the channels, and where the upper ends of two of the fingers of each four finger grouping are parallel to each other and the dividers, and the upper ends of the other two fingers of each four finger grouping are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the dividers.

4. A grid according to claim 3 where at least the fingers extending perpendicularly to the dividers are secured to the dividers by angle brackets and with the angle brackets having legs to which such fingers are secured and with the legs being of substantially the same width as the upper ends of the lingers.

5. A grid as in claim 3 where angle means are secured to and supported on spaced portions of at least some of said dividers, each angle means having a leg abutted against suchsupport and a second leg extending perpendicular thereto, and

the two fingers of the grouping extending perpendicular to such support are secured to the second leg of such angle means.

6. A grid as in claim 3 where the four fingers of any one group are secured to and carried by adjacent pairs of dividers.

7. In a packing grid for guiding bottles or other articles from an assembly device to a crate or carton in a packaging machine and including frame means, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel side plates,

a plurality of divider plates positioned between and parallel to the side plates to form equal size open elongated channels between said plates for receiving a line of articles in each channel, and

a plurality of elongated resilient fiat fingers each operatively mounted at its upper end on one of said plates and extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom,

said fingers being arranged in groups of four to define article guiding paths in equal spaced relationship in each of the channels, the upper ends of two of the fingers of each of the four finger grouping being parallel to each other and to said plates, and the upper ends of the other two fingers of each of the four finger grouping being parallel to each other and perpendicular to said plates,

angle means secured to spaced portions of at least some of said plates, each angle means having a leg abutted against its support plate and a second leg extending perpendicular thereto, and

the two fingers of the grouping extending perpendicular to such support plate being secured to the second leg of such angle means,

the four fingers of any one grouping being secured to and carried by adjacent pairs of the plates.

8. In a packing grid for guiding bottles or other articles from an assembly device to a crate or carton in a packaging machine and including frame means, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel side plates,

at least one divider plate positioned between and parallel to the side plates to form equal size open elongated channels between said plates for receiving a line of articles in each channel, and

a plurality of elongated resilient fiat fingers each operatively mounted at its upper end on one of said plates and extending su-bstantially vertically downwardly therefrom,

said fingers being arranged in groups of four to define article guiding paths in equal spaced relationship in each of the channels, the upper ends of two of the 7 8 lingers of each of the four linger grouping being par- References Cited allel to each other and to said plates, and the upper ends of the other two fingers of each four nger UNITED STATES PATENTS grouping being parallel to each other and perpendicu- 3,057,136 10/1952 Walter 53-248 XR lar to said plates, and 5 I the four fingers of any one group being secured to and WILLIAM W' DYER JR" P' 'ma'y Exammer' carried by adjacent pairs of the plates. R. ALVEY, Assistant Examiner. 

